1: Prologue

Lord Voldemort raised his wand to the door of the Potter's home and said, "Alohomora."

The door burst open and Lord Voldemort stepped inside the house. He heard a shout of alarm from within. Victory is mine thought Lord Voldemort as he strode to meet James Potter.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off," cried James Potter as he leapt up from the sofa his wand clasped in his hand.

Lord Voldemort strode though the open door into the living room of the cottage.

James Potter ran towards Lord Voldemort in a pathetic attempt to buy time for his wife and child to escape. There was no way out of the house. He had erected anti-apparition wards around the house and the only Floo connection was in the living room.

"Stupefy!"

Lord Voldemort deflected Potter's spell by raising a shield with a wave of his wand. Potter raced toward him casting several more stunners, which Lord Voldemort once again easily deflected.

"Avada Kedavra!" cried Lord Voldemort.

He cast the Killing Curse as Potter approached the doorway. He seemed to be planning on attempting to block Lord Voldemort's entrance to the living room and the rest of the house.

The green light hit James Potter right in the chest. The momentum of his movements caused his body to continue moving forward for a split second. However, as his muscles slackened, he collapsed to the floor like a worn-out toy doll.

Lord Voldemort stepped over the body and continued into the living room. The woman and child were gone. Scanning the room he spotted a second door, which lead to a staircase. He climbed the staircase. There were sounds coming from one of the rooms; the scrape of furniture being moved. How pathetic, she was attempting to barricade herself in.

"Confringo!"

The door to the room exploded inwards and Lord Voldemort strode through. Lily Potter was standing in the middle of the room with the child in her arms. When she saw him she shrank back towards the small cot on the far side of the room. She dropped the child into the cot and placed herself between the child and Lord Voldemort.

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" she pleaded as he advanced on the crib with his wand drawn.

"Stand aside, you silly girl. Stand aside now!" he demanded. He would give her a fair chance to save herself.

"Not Harry! Please, have mercy, have mercy. Not Harry! Not Harry! Please I'll do anything."

"This is my last warning," he replied. His patience was wearing thin. Pleasing Snape was not worth this annoyance.

"Not my son! No! Please no, take me, kill me instead!"

"Stand aside, girl!" he demanded again. She still did not move.

"Avada Kedavra!" he cried.

The green light bathed the room in an almost otherworldly glow. Lily Potter dropped to the floor in front of the cot containing the child she had pleaded for. The child would now die as well. The child looked up at him, his green eyes curious. He was not crying. Perhaps he thought this was all a game concocted by his parents. Lord Voldemort pointed his wand at the child, the one who could defeat him. He drew back the hood of his cloak. He wanted the child to see the face of the one who would kill him. The child now began to cry. He obviously didn't recognise Lord Voldemort and didn't know where his parents were.

"Avada Kedavra!" Lord Voldemort cried for the third time that night.

The green light left the tip of his wand and struck the child on the right side of his forehead.

Suddenly Lord Voldemort's entire being was filled with pain and terror. It felt as if his very soul was being stretched as it attempted to leave the world but was prevented from doing so. Some immeasurable amount of time later the sensations of his body fell away and he began to have some understanding of the world around him through the haze of pain. He was still in the room; however, it seemed faded and lifeless. The child was still there crying and was bathed in a brilliant white glow. The pain was receding now, he could think again.

Lord Voldemort saw his wand on the floor. He reached to pick it up. It was then he realised he had no hands to pick up the wand. He tried to scream in frustration only to realise he no longer had a voice with which to scream. An inexplicable terror came over Lord Voldemort because something had gone horribly wrong. He was broken, destroyed. Not completely though, his spirit was still here. His spirit but not his body. He was trapped, unable to interact with the physical world.

Lord Voldemort's tortured soul, wrapped in confusion and pain left the house in Godric's Hollow, leaving a crying baby and a rat that was skittering up the path towards the now dark and silent house.

October 31st 1981 Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Albus Dumbledore returned to his office after a very enjoyable Halloween Feast. He always enjoyed the school's feasts; nothing gave him more delight than watching the happy faces of the students, even in these troubled times. Albus sat down at his desk and glanced over the instruments that sat on it. He fought down a surge of panic when he noticed a deep red glow emanating from the one that monitored the Potter's house in Godric's Hollow.

Jumping to his feet, he ran to the fireplace and grabbing some Floo powder threw it into the fire that was burning.

"Potter Residence, Godric's Hollow," he called, praying that his instruments had somehow malfunctioned.

The fireplace did nothing. It was as if the house was no longer connected. Albus felt dread coil in the depths of his stomach. Had he failed to protect this family and more importantly, Harry? Without Harry, Tom could not be defeated. Until the prophecy was fulfilled he could not rest.

Praying for a miracle, Albus swept out of his office. He made his way rapidly towards the perimeter of the school grounds so he could Apparate to Godric's Hollow and investigate for himself.